This past week, I was working with a new home health care client in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I went early on Sunday evening to have dinner with long time friend and client, Sharon Buursma. Sharon was the CEO of the VNA of Western Michigan for many many years and then moved into senior level executive positions with Spectrum Health. Sharon was a founder of the Michigan Home Health Association, and an early leader in our industry.
In February 2004, Sharon suffered a heart attack in her home, but the symptoms were so unusual that most people would not have recognized them. Only for the grace of God, and the fact that Sharon had just two weeks before read an article about the symptoms of heart attack in women, that she was able to get herself to the hospital and be treated.
Sharons story is so compelling that others who have heard it have shared the information with friends and relatives. Over our dinner, Sharon told me of at least four other woman whose lives have been saved because of hearing her story and being able to take quick action in response to a heart attack. She’s become a “poster child” for the American Heart Association and their efforts to inform women about the affects of heart disease.
Please take a moment to read Sharon’s Story. Then pass it on.
